The Real Cost of Exhibiting at a Trade Show

The full cost stack

Percentages of total show spend for a typical 60–100 sqm custom exhibitor.

• Stand design and build: 35–45%
• Space rental: 15–25%
• Services (power, rigging, internet, cleaning, waste): 6–12%
• Freight, logistics and customs: 5–10%
• Staffing, travel and accommodation: 10–18%
• Marketing, hospitality and lead follow-up: 5–12%

Worked example: 60 sqm at a major European show

Space at £220/sqm: £13,200. Custom build at £650/sqm: £39,000. Services and rigging: £7,500. Freight and install labour: £6,800. Eight staff for three days including travel: £14,000. Marketing and hospitality: £6,000. Total: roughly £86,500.

At that spend, a break-even of 20 qualified opportunities implies a cost per opportunity of £4,300 — which is why lead qualification discipline on stand matters more than the stand itself.

How to reduce cost without reducing impact

• Order services at early-bird rates — late orders carry 25–50% surcharges
• Reuse a modular core and reprint only the graphics
• Take a smaller footprint in a better position rather than a larger one in a dead aisle
• Consolidate freight with your build partner rather than shipping separately
• Cut the sub-£30k 'presence' shows entirely and reinvest in the two that produce pipeline